Graduate Study Overview

If you think all entomologists wear pith helmets and carry nets, you are only partly right. Entomologists can be found in the jungles as well as the arctic examining insect biodiversity, but they can also be found analyzing DNA sequences, conducting forensic studies, developing agricultural policies, and interfacing with a multitude of other biological problems. We do it all and do it well.

Our faculty include professors recognized from campus to national levels for instructional excellence. In a recent study, our department ranked second in the nation for research productivity. Our graduates are found in all areas of science including academia, industry, and governmental and non-governmental agencies. Currently, we offer about 15 courses, a graduate seminars series, as well as research programs that lead to a master’s or doctoral degree.

Departmental research facilities are excellent. For those studying biodiversity, our department has a vibrant research collection containing nearly 3 million specimens and excellent imaging equipment. There are quarantine facilities for studying invasive species. The campus hosts a state-of-the-art biotechnology center that provides support to all research units. Computing facilities are available for data-intensive research and statistical consulting services are available. Nearby is the Biotron, which provides selective control over physical conditions and permits duplication of environmental conditions anywhere on earth. Greenhouses are available for those studying plant insect interactions. Experimental farms offer various conditions for field research.

Excellence in ResearchUW-Madison ranks as one of the most prolific research universities in the world, placing second among American public universities for research expenditures.

Incredible Campus and Community
The campus rolls along Lake Mendota, with wooded hills and the busy city streets of downtown Madison. Madison is small enough to navigate easily, but with cultural resources and amenities that rival those of cities many times its size.